Supermarket staff in Australia attacked by angry shoppers over plastic bag ban – with one customer grabbing female worker by the throat

A customer grabbed the staff member by the throat - while another called staff 'money-grabbing scum' as the shop introduced a ban on plastic bags

By Erica Doyle Higgins

1st July 2018, 4:30 pm

Updated: 2nd July 2018, 9:20 am

SUPERMARKET staff in Australia have faced attacks and abuse from angry shoppers over a plastic bag ban - with one man even grabbing a female staff member by the throat.

The shock incident last Saturday at Woolworths in Mandurah, Western Australia, came as the retail giant brought in the ban a week before the nationwide ban on single-use plastics came into force in Australia today.

Tempers flared in an Australian Woolworths as the supermarket giant introduced a ban on plastic bags

Woolworths scrapped plastic bags on June 20 and instead introduced a 15 cent (8p) resusable bag or a "Bag for Good" for 99 cent (55p).

But according to The West Australian, a worker was assaulted by an irate customer on June 23 after being told there were no single-use plastic bags.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association assistant secretary Ben Harris said: "A male customer in the self-serve area swore loudly at a female worker. She provided him with some complimentary bags and apologised.

"He made a mistake by scanning an item twice, the worker came to help him remove it and he walked up behind her and put his hands around her throat."

"A customer told me we are f***** for doing it before the date. He also told me he will never buy a f****** bag from us. Another customer left all their shopping, told us we are useless, and walked out," a third staff member said.

CA-SCARY ISLANDS

TENER-GRIEF

The staff survey also revealed workers are experiencing issues with some customers' unhygienic resusable bags, as they reported finding dead cockroaches, mouse droppings and pet fur in bags.

As a result of the findings, the SDA has launched a campaign warning people not to abuse staff over the

bag ban.

With the ban coming into effect, retailers will face fines of several thousands of pounds if they are found to be offering single-use plastic bags.

Since October 5 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge 5p for all single-use plastic carrier bags.

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